1990 Best Actress Race – Who Should’ve Won

[BamaEd Joined: Nov 3rd, 2010 Topics: 3 Posts: 202 View Predictions]

#1204280549

Inspired by wolfali’s topic about the 1989 race (for 1988 movies), how about we look at the next year:

Isabelle Adjani – Camille Claudel as Camille Claudel
Pauline Collins – Shirley Valentine as Shirley Valentine-Bradshaw
Jessica Lange – Music Box as Ann Talbot
Michelle Pfeiffer – The Fabulous Baker Boys as Susie Diamond
Jessica Tandy – Driving Miss Daisy as Daisy Werthan

To me, it’s a 2 woman race. Michelle Pfeiffer won the big 5 awards: NBR, NYFCC, LAFC, NSFC, and GG. Her performance was AMAZING with equal parts strength and vulnerability. Plus, her singing was fantastic. Beau Bridges was snubbed for a nomination as well.

Tandy was such a beloved actress and her movie was a feel good movie that went on to win big. Her biggest win was the Golden Globe for comedy/musical (Pfeiffer won drama. With Pfeiffer singing, I’m surprised they didn’t switch those categories) along with a couple of regional film critics. Was it love for the film? Love for her? Love for the performance? Pfeiffer was poised to become THE movie star of the 90s, but chose things on her own terms (during down Silence of the Lambs due to the darkness of the subject matter).

Pauline Collins won the BAFTA the year before when Shirley Valentine was released in the UK. The other 2 nominees I doubt had as much of a chance. Adjani was the star of France’s FL nominee Camille Claudel and had been nominated before. Lange got good notices for a film that didn’t. But she was a known quantity and already had 4 Oscar noms in the 80s (she was sadly snubbed for the criminally overlooked Men Don’t Leave the next year) and was in a film with deep subject matter.

A few actresses could have/should have been nominated: Andie MacDowell received stellar notices for sex, lies, and videotape. Meg Ryan was wonderfully charming in When Harry Met Sally…, Kathleen Turner was darkly brilliant in War of the Roses, Winona Ryder was a revelation in Heathers. I’m surprised they didn’t go with Sally Field for Steel Magnolias to go along with Julia.

Anyway, does Tandy win on performance or does Pfeiffer? Or someone else?

X

Reply

[Diamond Tier Joined: Aug 14th, 2020 Topics: 0 Posts: 5519 View Predictions]

#1204280578

Michelle Pfeiffer should’ve won. Driving Miss Daisy is a severely overrated film.

X

ReplyCopy URL

[keithw Joined: Aug 17th, 2012 Topics: 1 Posts: 112 View Predictions]

#1204280591

I remember at the time my choice was Jessica Lange in Music Box.

X

ReplyCopy URL

[BamaEd Joined: Nov 3rd, 2010 Topics: 3 Posts: 202 View Predictions]

#1204280701

BTW, I’m Team Pfeiffer all the way. I would have replaced Adjani or Lange with MacDowell. I would have loved Ryan to be in the mix. I hate we didn’t appreciate Meg’ gifts while they were at their peak.

I dare not dream that Ryder or Turner would have gotten in for they darkest of comedies.

X

ReplyCopy URL

[Joined: Jan 1st, 1970 Topics: 27 Posts: 480 View Predictions]

#1204281221

This post was found to be inappropriate by the moderators and has been removed.

[JayDF Joined: Sep 18th, 2011 Topics: 2 Posts: 8610 View Predictions]

#1204281416

1. Adjani
2. Tandy
3. Lange
4. Pfieffer
5. Collins

I never really got the appeal of Pfeiffer’s acting prowess, I’m not saying she’s bad. I just never thought she was as interesting as others do. Adjani is an amazing artist, albeit in a rather slow film. I do really like both the Jessica’s work.

X

ReplyCopy URL